Created by: Justin Gonder

Modified on: Mon, Oct 23, 2017 at 8:18 AM

Before you begin

If you are not already on the Review screen, navigate to the Journal Home screen, select 'Manage All Submissions' then select 'In Review.' (Don't see this option? Learn more about permissions.) Finally, select the title of the manuscript you'd like to work with.

Ensure that you are on the '2. Review' page for the manuscript you are working on, by selecting the 2. Review link near the top of the page.

Steps in this guide

1. Record your editorial decision

In the Editor Decision section, select the most appropriate option next to 'Record new decision.' Be sure to select the 'Record Decision' button to save your selection.

Note: This action will not yet notify the author via email, but the author will be able to view the decision if they log in.

Editor Decision Options

Accept Submission - No further revisions necessary. The article is ready for copyediting.

Revisions Required - Author needs to make minor revisions. You should describe these in the email notification you will send to the author in the next step. The author should then upload a revised version to the submission system. When the revisions are addressed, change the decision to Accept and notify the author of the new decision.

Resubmit for Review - Author needs to make substantial revisions. Once the author has uploaded a revised version to the system, you will have the option to select the revised version as a new Review Version for a fresh round of peer review.

Decline Submission - The article is rejected and moved to the archive.

Before proceeding, return to the Peer Review section and double check that you have selected or de-selected the 'Let author view file' checkbox for any files that reviewers may have uploaded. Remember to select the Record button to save your choice.

Next, select the 'envelope' icon next to Notify Author.

You will be presented with an email template which you may edit to provide feedback for the author.

You may also select the 'Import Peer Reviews' button to paste a copy of any comments provided by reviewers at the bottom of the email. You may make edits to these comments before sending the email, in case you need to remove any personally identifiable information from the comments.

If any files were provided by reviewers, and made available to the authors by you, you should make mention of these in the text of your email. Authors will need to log into the submission management system to download and view these files; they will not be sent as an attachment to the decision email.

Select the 'speech bubble' icon to view any comments the reviewer recorded.

If the reviewer uploaded file(s), select each file link to download and view the file. Determine whether that file should be shared with the author, and then select or de-select the 'Let author view file' checkbox, as appropriate. Remember to select the Record button to save your choice.